GALA SCREENING
Sunday, December 6 @ 5:30PM
Thalia Cinema, Symphony Space

THE HARIMAYA BRIDGE /
HARIMAYABASHI
NY PREMIERE
This poignant melodrama tells the story of an African American man from San Francisco, Daniel (played by Ben Guillory), who goes on a journey to Japan seeking the truth about the life and death of his estranged son Mickey who moved against his father’s will to a rural Japanese town to teach and paint . Daniel’s father died as a Japanese POW during WWII, leaving many emotional wounds with Daniel and causing him to feel an extreme prejudice towards the Japanese. Mickey’s friends in Japan welcome Daniel with great warmth and respect.  But he is neither willing nor able to react positively until he discovers a life-altering secret that will force him to reassess his feelings and actions.  A distinct portrayal of how people develop cultural understanding and the undeniable universal need for love and peace. Written and directed by African-African Columbia Film School graduate Aaron Woolfolk who drew the story from his experiences as a JET (Japanese English Teaching program) teacher in Kochi Prefecture in Japan in the 1990s. Japan/USA/Korea/ English & Japanese with English subtitles, 2009, 120min, drama. Co-produced by Danny Glover.

Screening followed by a Q&A with director and catered reception